Tamale House East in Austin is on of our favorite Austin restaurants. They serve fantastic Mexican and Tex-Mex food, all so delicious and chock full of flavor. The menu boasts so many mouth-watering dishes like homemade tamales, enchiladas, and tacos (some of the best in Austin). But one of our very favorite things to get here is the chilaquiles.
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What are chilaquiles?
Never heard of our favorite Mexican comfort food before? Never fear. Chilaquiles is an incredibly simple but very satisfying breakfast dish served in Mexico and in heavily Mexican influenced states like Arizona and Texas. It’s a great way to use up stale tortillas and avoid waste. Chilaquiles are made of fried tortilla pieces, homemade salsa, and typically topped with cheese and egg. The flavor and texture combination of crunchy chips and smooth, homemade salsa is to die for.
The Tamale House Chilaquiles Recipe
The Tamale House East Chilaquiles recipe is made with a tomatillo salsa, which (in our humble opinion) is the best way to make chilaquiles. This chilaquiles recipe includes instructions on the chilaquiles themselves plus the side potatoes and refried beans, just as it’s served in the restaurant. You’ll first make the tomatillo salsa by boiling all of the ingredients together and then blending. The potatoes and beans come together in a pinch but if you want to keep things simple you can pass on them. And the fried tortillas are shockingly easy. Just make sure you achieve a perfect light golden brown color with your chips (not too brown or overcooked) for the perfect foundation for your chilaquiles.
Huge thanks to our friends at Tamale House East for sharing their chilaquiles recipe with the Female Foodie community. Let us know if you make this recipe, and next time you’re in Austin, please stop by Tamale House East and give them some love!
Tamale House East Chilaquiles Recipe
Ingredients
Tomatillo Salsa
- 1 pound peeled tomatillos, rinsed
- 1/4 medium white onion, chopped
- 1/3 bunch of cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, or one minced garlic clove
Potatoes
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Refried Beans
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
- 1/4 medium white onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, or 1/2 garlic clove minced
- 1 16 oz. can refried beans
- salt and pepper to taste
Chilaquiles
- Tomatillo Salsa (recipe above)
- 2-3 cups canola oil*
- 4-6 corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup grated monterey jack cheese
- 2 fried eggs
Instructions
Tomatillo Salsa
- Put the tomatillos, white onion, cilantro, garlic, and salt in a medium-sized pot. Cover ingredients with water until ingredients are just covered. Boil on high heat until tomatillos are soft, about 10 minutes after the water starts boiling. While the tomatillos are cooking, prepare the potatoes and beans.
- Once the tomatillos are cooked, strain most of the liquid from the pot (leave about 1 cup). Using an immersion blender, blend the tomatillo mixture just until smooth, but do not over blend-- there should still be visible tomatillo seeds and pieces of cilantro. If you do not have an immersion blender, use a regular blender but wait a few minutes for the ingredients to cool before pulsing a few times in the blender. Taste tomatillo salsa and add more salt if needed. Set aside.
Potatoes (Optional)
- Bring a nonstick fry pan to medium-high heat, add potatoes, oil, salt, and pepper and cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are crispy and golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside. Mix potatoes every few minutes for evenly browned potatoes. Add additional salt if needed.
Refried Beans (Optional)
- Bring a small pot with oil to medium heat and cook the chopped onion in the oil for 5 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add beans and salt and pepper. Cook for 5 more minutes or until thoroughly heated through.
Tortillas
- Heat 2-3 cups of oil to medium-high heat in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven.* Cut tortillas into random strips, or if you want them to be symmetrical you can cut them into 6ths like a pizza. Fry the tortillas in hot oil until they are crispy and golden brown on the edges. Do not overcook. Remove from oil and set on cooling rack set on top of a cookie sheet to dry and cool.
Assembly
- On a large plate, assemble the chilaquiles and sides. First, lay the fried tortillas on the plates, then generously ladle the tomatillo salsa on top. Optional: you may add rotisserie chicken to the top of the salsa or incorporated with some of the salsa if desired. Top fried tortillas and salsa with monterey jack cheese and fried egg. Add refried beans and potatoes to the same dish on the side. Serve immediately.
Notes
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